DeMar On a Short Leash These Days?

According to Doug Smith that's the vibe he's been getting around the organization. Do you guys feel that keeping DeRozan on that short leash is justified and if so and there is a change that needs to be made at the SG spot, do you think it should be Wright replacing DeMar or should Sonny also get some consideration?

And just in idle chitchat with a few folks around the team, I get the sense that DeMarís on a rather short leash these days as far as his position in the starting lineup goes.

No oneís suggesting a move to replace him Ė and Iíd imagine it would have to be for Antoine Wright Ė is imminent but if he doesnít start having a great impact on games, I can see it happening.

And by impact I donít mean 20 points and eight rebounds. I mean a consistent effort every night at both ends of the floor, no floating, no constantly losing his man on screens, no long stretches of indifference or one-on-five play. Pure and simple hard work.

They donít get it long enough.

I was all for the way they used him this season, a crash course in the tough night-to-night life of a NBA shooting guard and there can be no question heís a better player today than he was on opening night.

Kidís still got a good work ethic in practice, at post-practice and during his preparation for games but it hasnít translated often enough into anything special once the ball goes up.

But itís truly winning time now and the mild sense I get is that there are those in the organization who think a change may eventually have to be made.

I agree. The playoffs are on the line now. Give the kid the hook for now if its needed. I mean he can still learn a lot coming off the bench for the rest of the season. It may shatter any sense of "entitlement" as well.

Triano should do what he thinks he needs to do to keep the Raptors from falling behind by double digits in the first quarter. Against good teams when you fall significantly behind in the first quarter, especially on the road this time of the year when the officials start to gear up for playoff type of officiating, you have a very difficult time winning. It is even worse in the playoffs.

The 3rd quarter even more so. Studies have shown that statistically a team that wins the 3rd quarter will win the game more than they would if was just random chance.

So Triano needs to put the best lineups out there to start the 1st and 3rd quarters and play his best defensive unit during the last six minutes of the game unless the Raptors are way behind at that time.

hmmmmmm

my thinking is....

long term: keep the rookie playing more time, to gain more experience. opportunity cost is obviously "rookie mistakes"

short term: this is what the organization (and most fans) should be pushing for, considering its CB4's contract year. so that means keeping DeRozan on a "short leash" which i dont mind so long as his replacements can do a better job.